Enrollment
558
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Other / mixed grade configuration · Walhalla, SC
James M. Brown Elementary
Federal NCES profile for James M. Brown Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 56/100.
2024-25 NCES dataOther / mixed grade configurationNCES 450306000828
👥 S:T ratio 59
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 44
📋 Attendance 51
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
James M. Brown Elementary earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of South Carolina schools.
- #1 of 3
- public schools in Walhalla · Resource Index
- 56
- Resource Index · Higher
- 10.3:1
- small classes for South Carolina
- 100.0%
- free-lunch eligible
James M. Brown Elementary has class sizes smaller than 90% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, James M. Brown Elementary ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Walhalla, SC.
School address
District: Oconee 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450306000828 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
54.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
10.3:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
-28% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
100.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
+35% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How James M. Brown Elementary compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at James M. Brown Elementary
James M. Brown Elementary is a high-poverty, mid-sized combined-grade school in Walhalla, South Carolina, enrolling 558 students.
Classes run notably small here: at 10.3:1, James M. Brown Elementary is leaner than roughly 90% of South Carolina schools and 28% under the state's 14.3:1 norm, more adult attention per pupil than most peers.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 100.0% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 558 students, its enrollment sits close to the South Carolina median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Among 375 similarly sized, similarly resourced-need South Carolina schools statewide, it ranks #11, a top-tier result once campus size and economic need are matched.
Its student body is led by White (60%) and Hispanic or Latino (34%) (diversity index 53/100).
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 279 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 19.5% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Its district draws 18.4% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Oconee 01 also operates Walhalla High (1,118 students) and Seneca High (1,051 students) alongside James M. Brown Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How James M. Brown Elementary compares
James M. Brown Elementary on the metrics families compare, against South Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs South Carolina | South Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 10.3:1 | ▼ 28% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 100.0% | ▲ 35% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 558 | top 48% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
10.3:1
Leaner classes than 87% of US schools, among the more generously staffed nationally.
558
Bigger than 69% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
100.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 35% above the South Carolina average of 74.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
10.3:1
students per teacher
- 28% below state mean
Top 10% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 90% of state schools
Well under the widely cited 15:1 individualized-attention benchmark, among the leaner class loads nationally.
Engagement
19.5%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$13,875
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Carolina avg of $14,558
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 279 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
32
in-school suspensions + 30 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.7 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.1 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 59.7%
Hispanic or Latino 34.1%
African American 3.2%
Two or More 2.2%
Asian 0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 59.7% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 52.6/100
Simpson diversity index - at 52.6, James M. Brown Elementary is about as mixed as the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Oconee 01, which includes James M. Brown Elementary.
$13,875
Per student
-5%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 42.4%
State 39.2%
Federal 18.4%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How James M. Brown Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walhalla High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Seneca High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Walhalla Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Seneca Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| West-Oak High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to James M. Brown Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,118
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- Enrollment
- 1,051
- Students per teacher
- 18.8:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 857
- Students per teacher
- 13.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 829
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
- Enrollment
- 735
- Students per teacher
- 14.4:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
Similar other schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of South Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~558 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~10.3:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on James M. Brown Elementary's federal record.
- Compare James M. Brown Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Oconee 01's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about James M. Brown Elementary
How many students attend James M. Brown Elementary?
James M. Brown Elementary has 558 students enrolled. It is a public school in Walhalla, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at James M. Brown Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at James M. Brown Elementary is 10.3:1, which is 28% lower than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 34% lower than the national average of 15.7:1. Lower ratios generally mean more individual attention per student.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at James M. Brown Elementary?
100.0% of students at James M. Brown Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of James M. Brown Elementary?
The largest demographic group at James M. Brown Elementary is White at 59.7% of enrollment, in Walhalla, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 52.6/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for James M. Brown Elementary?
James M. Brown Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 56/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does James M. Brown Elementary rank among public schools in Walhalla?
By Resource Investment Index, James M. Brown Elementary ranks #1 of 3 public schools in Walhalla, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Walhalla on the city page.
Is James M. Brown Elementary a good school?
James M. Brown Elementary earns 56/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes smaller than 90% of South Carolina schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Oconee 01?
Besides James M. Brown Elementary, Oconee 01 also operates Walhalla High (1,118 students), Seneca High (1,051 students), and Walhalla Middle (857 students). See the Oconee 01 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.